A second migrant has been deported to France under the Government’s “one in, one out” deal as more small boats began making the dangerous English Channel crossing in the early hours of the morning.
An Eritrean man who lost a High Court bid to halt his removal was on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am on Friday.
Meanwhile in northern France, hundreds of migrants embarked on the Channel crossing early on Friday morning.
Among them a small child was seen wearing arm bands and a flotation device.
Cabinet minister Peter Kyle suggested the armed forces should remain focused on defence, after Donald Trump signalled during his state visit that military intervention could be used to deal with illegal migration to the UK.
Asked about the US president’s claims, the Business Secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Well, what he suggested was the military are used, but we have the UK Border Force that is now established and has been reinforced and bolstered and have new powers under this Government.
“The Navy actually does have a working relationship with the UK Border Force, and the Navy can be called upon if needed.”
But he later added: “What we really need at the moment is our military focused on all of those really key issues around the world, directly relating to our national defence.”
Elsewhere, Mr Kyle told Times Radio the Government is willing to change the law where needed to tackle the migration crisis.
“We are challenging the law where it needs to be done, and we are willing to change the law where it is appropriate,” he said.
Ministers have faced calls from the Tories and Reform to leave the European Convention on Human Rights in order to deal with illegal migration.
Senior Labour figures, including former foreign secretary Jack Straw, are also among those who have suggested loosening the international agreement’s influence on UK law could help to remove more unauthorised migrants.
Speaking alongside Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday, Mr Trump suggested illegal migration “destroys countries from within”.
He also said: “You have people coming in and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use.”
At least one inflatable dinghy full of young men made its way out to sea from Gravelines beach, north-east Calais, at daybreak on Friday.
As the boat came close to shore, people waded through waist-high water towards it and a child was passed aboard before it went out to sea.
In the town itself, at about 5.30am, a group of 40 young men suddenly appeared from a quiet side street carrying an inflatable boat over their heads before launching it into a canal.
Police officers watched on from the bank as the driver of the boat struggled to keep it in a straight line.
Earlier in the night, a group of men formed a human chain to help haul people out of the mud after a failed attempt to launch a boat in the canal.
